Nottingham Forest v Liverpool predictions: Forest can put up a fight

Free football tips, best bets and analysis for Nottingham Forest v Liverpool in the FA Cup on Sunday.

Where to watch

ITV, Sunday 6pm

Best bet

Liverpool to win & both teams to score
1pt 15-8 bet365, Betfred

Team news

Nottingham Forest
Defenders Steve Cook and Max Lowe are out while centre-back Scott McKenna is a major doubt. Lewis Grabban remains an absentee.

Liverpool
Trent Alexander-Arnold is out, James Milner and Mo Salah are doubts.

Match preview

Nottingham Forest have already taken care of two Premier League sides on route to the last eight of the FA Cup, but a hat-trick of top-flight scalps might be beyond them.

Liverpool won't be at full-strength for their visit to the City Ground with Trent Alexander-Arnold out and one or two others rested, but Jurgen Klopp's quad-chasers should still have far too much firepower for Forest.

The visitors are plenty short enough at around 1-3 meaning scant value for anyone wanting to get with the Merseysiders, but the 15-8 that they win and both teams score looks nice enough.

And the fact is that Forest do score, especially at home.

Granted, they aren't playing sides of the calibre of Liverpool week in, week out, but they have found the net in each of their last nine at home starting with that 1-0 win over Arsenal, and have scored at least two in the subsequent eight.

Included in that run was a superb 4-1 dismantling of Leicester in round four and Steve Cooper's bunch are a confident group, who have lost only one of their last 14 and carry threats all over the park.

Young Brennan Johnson looks a superstar-in-waiting and completed the scoring on Tuesday night as Forest came from behind to beat Championship promotion rivals QPR 3-1.

Alongside Johnson is Keinan Davis, never quite trusted enough to get a run going at Villa but enjoying his opportunity in Nottingham where he has bagged four since bowling up in the transfer window. In the enforced absence of 12-goal top scorer Lewis Grabban, Forest are in safe enough hands.

So Forest pack a punch and while they are acutely aware they will be doing most of their work without the ball, when they have it they can land a blow, especially against a defence which will have to be reshuffled because of Alexander-Arnold's injury.

That is a headache for Klopp, who will make one or two other tweaks as well so soon after the 2-0 win at Arsenal, which saw them trim Manchester City's lead in the title race to just a point.

Liverpool have played three FA Cup ties this season, all at Anfield, and both teams scored in all three.

Away from home this season they have played eight cup ties, winning seven, drawing the other. The fixtures pile up but Liverpool seem to be getting stronger and stronger and it's hard to believe they won't stamp their class on this tie, in what should be an entertaining affair.

Key stat

Nottingham Forest have scored at least two goals in each of their last eight home games

Inside info

Nottingham Forest

Penalty taker Brennan Johnson
Free-kick wizard James Garner
Set-piece aerial threat Ryan Yates
Card magnet Jack Colback

Liverpool

Penalty taker Roberto Firmino
Free-kick wizardAndrew Robertson/Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
Set-piece aerial threatVirgil Van Dijk
Card magnetAndrew Robertson

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